375's and up: How important is blued/wood vs stainless/synthetic to you for Africa?

[curtism1234]

I have seen this topic within other threads before but never as a standalone. Obviously a matter of opinion and ultimately the only important opinion is your own. I'm curious nonetheless because I'm on the fence.

I have been passively looking for a 375 for a few years now waiting for a good deal on a great condition rifle - never anything real specific. I found a Remington 700 375h&h I'm pretty interested in for probably $700 out the door - great condition. It is a push fed (not the topic of this thread) and stainless/synthetic

Obviously if you are hunting the damp coast of, say, Alaska the stainless/synthetic is pretty hard to beat. But as it pertains to Africa: what say you?

 

[Nkawu]

My only issue is with brightly polished stainless barrels shining/reflecting in the bright light.

 

[curtism1234]

My only issue is with brightly polished stainless barrels shining/reflecting in the bright light.

I believe the Remington is a matte stainless.

I would also have the same concern with glossy blued barrels

 

[Pheroze]

I like stainless barrels but I coat them with armacoat type product with a Matt finish. For the stock, I am a big fan of wood. To me it just feels alive. To a certain extent I like the scratches and dings that carve a history into the stock.

 

[Shaneb]

To me I could never do it. Synthetic stocks just feel so generic to me. I take my .270 out and it’s loaded with scars and stories. It’s special. It’s hard to explain, it just feels alive. If I were to buy a synthetic rifle on a value you best believe a custom wood stock would be soon to follow.

 

[Adrian]

Big fan of wood and blued or matt finish metal.
I cannot get excited about plastic or synthetic.

I know they are practical and I don't knock anyone for owning one, I would if I needed to.

Most of my friends are plastic fanatics with heated pistol grips and carbon fibre and thumb holes and adjustable combs but it's not for me.
It's too futuristic and tactical and I think it's a fashion at the moment.
Everyone has to have one for some reason.
We go out hunting in the UK, and they all carry guns looking like they've robbed a Star Wars set.

To me, a rifle is a companion, it has to have some soul and character which you simply don't get with plastic.
Every wooden stocked rifle is individual, every scratch or scrape tells a story.
The wood glows in the sunlight and you can look at it propped against a tree or in a photo and a smile will appear on your face.
I could never get that with a plastic gun.
I like my wood and wood grain and wonder about the tree it came from, where did it grow? How old was it?
I like the way it gets darker with age and how it feels in my hands. It feels alive in my hands like a favourite dog, eager for the hunt.

Not sterile and soulless and generic and the same as everyone else's.

 

[Ridgewalker]

I love fine wood and beautifully blued steel, but I’m a gun abuser. My 375s are synthetic stocked matte stainless steel.
My shotguns consist of fine wood and blued AyA and Arrieta with buffalo covered recoil pads But on snowy or rainy days I carry a Beretta A400 covered with synthetic camouflage.

That said, I believe it would be sacrilege to have a 416 Rigby or 404 Jeffery or classic DG SxS that was not wood and blued. JMO

 

[Rule 303]

I prefer wood and blued over synthetics as they do carry the scars and knocks to remind you of hunts. However the piratical side of me shows in the Synthetic stocked rifles I have. Some blued some stainless and most are ceracoated. My 416 Rigby is blued CZ550 but sits in a McMillan stock. The stock gives me a better length of pull and fits better than the shop wood stock. If I could have afforded good custom timber stock I would have.

Africa; I would think blued and wood will be fine unless heading to the real wet parts, then the synthetics come into there own. Mind you you can seal timber stocks so the moisture does not affect them.

 

[Philip Glass]

I would not buy a Remington .375 H&H. You must have a quality controlled round feed rifle. This is a gun that you may start out as a PG gun and then move to DG and it must be reliable. Research this site and do not make the price tag your deciding factor. Please!
Philip

 

[James Cook]

I can go either way. Love the classic look and feel of a blued gun with deep marbled wood stock. Bumps add character. Probably lean more this way. But a well designed synthetic stock is in the safe in several calibers too - more due to functionality and cost. But I do like the synthetic stock in more traditional looking stock also. Not a fan of the thumb hole, exotic color or design - or the “plastic look”. Have cerakoted a few due to the later. But at the end of the day it’s whatever floats your boat and you can hit the 10 ring with.

 

[CTDolan]

Blued steel and walnut has a character that only improves with age.

 

[curtism1234]

I would not buy a Remington .375 H&H. You must have a quality controlled round feed rifle. This is a gun that you may start out as a PG gun and then move to DG and it must be reliable. Research this site and do not make the price tag your deciding factor. Please!
Philip

I respect and appreciate the advise/warning, thank you

I do not know if it would see a DG hunt. With a new baby on the way, I would not consider a DG hunt for at least 20 years. That would put me pushing 60 years old. The 375 has always fascinated me ever since I bought a box of clearanced shells 10 years ago just as a conversation piece.

I could pay $1000 for a used push fed Model 70 or new Browning X bolt, $800 or so for a Browning Abolt, or you can pay $700 for this Remington. My only point being, this particular rifle offers a very good value for an introduction to the 375 and would be more than fine for large PG

Again, I respect the control feed argument

 

[Eric Anderson]

I would prefer blued steel and real wood, but I picked up a .375 Ruger for way to cheap.

 

[JakeH]

Blued steel and walnut is obviously preferable, but I won’t turn down a good deal on a rifle because of the stock and finish. My Steyr is a grey/green synthetic with their “mannox” finish and it definitely my favorite rifle that I’ve owned so far.

 

[Jeffrey]

I like either if properly executed. A good matte stainless on a grey laminate stock that screams Kodiak Island... Nice bluing on a well figured walnut stock with nice checkering... Now I don't care for injection molded plastic stocks - please give me kevlar/armarid or a well figured laminate with checkering in subtle colors, if possible.

My main advice though: NEVER let $300 affect your decision on a rifle. In the long run, $300 is such a small amount. Especially considering optics, rings, ammunition, reloading dies and components, a good sling, a good soft case, et cetera. If money is a concern, try to limit your number of rifles to those in the most useful chamberings (375HH is near the top of the list), and outfit these rifles as best you can. My two cents, worth what you paid for it.

 

[meigsbucks]

I prefer the look and feel of wood and blued steel. In fact my Sako .375 is such a rifle. However, if I were to buy another .375 it would have a synthetic or laminate stock. The metal could be stainless or blued unless it will get wet... then stainless. To me, just more practical and tougher.

 

[colorado]

All my rifles are blued steel /walnut except for the Rem XCR II in 375 H&H I bought for an Alaskan brown bear hunt. The rifle worked great, it rained every day most of the days. In retrospect, if I go back for another brown bear on Kodiak Island, I will bring my blued steel / walnut CZ 550 in 500 Jeffery, just because I love shooting it. I'll just have to take care of it every night. I hunted in the Adirondack Mountains of New York with a Rem BDL in 270 (blued/walnut) and never worried about it. I let the Internet get to me lol

 

[Hogpatrol]

Stainless, synthetic and hydro-dipped camo. Wood is for furniture, baseball bats and making fire.

 

[sierraone]

Walnut and blue. I owned a stainless and walnut .300 HH, but sold it three months later. Never owned a rifle with a plastic stock. Only if I were young enough to go hunt Alaska, might I consider buying a stainless and plastic rifle.

 

[BeeMaa]

My current 375 is synthetic stocked with carbon steel with Gunkote flat finish.
I love the look and feel of wood stocked rifle, but I'm not easy on equipment.
Any beautiful high grade wood stock & engraved rifle would end up a safe queen for me, a showpiece if you will.
That's not the life of a proper rifle, they should be used...I just can't bring myself to be the one doing it.
Stainless and synthetic, sorry guys.